Many Californians will likely be infected during omicron surge. How bad will it get?
LOS ANGELES — The omicron variant of the coronavirus is now spreading rapidly across California, fueling big upticks in infections across the state.
At least three California health systems have reported that omicron appears to account for 50% to 70% of new cases, state health officials said Thursday, and clinical and wastewater data suggest omicron is now spreading in most parts of California.
However, the full scope of this latest wave remains to be seen.
Cases are expected to spike, perhaps to unprecedented levels. Some hospitals are likely to again come under stress from a renewed influx of COVID-19 patients.
But for now, officials say they can contend with the surge by doubling down on common-sense safety practices and promoting vaccinations and booster shots, rather than resorting to new lockdown orders.
Los Angeles County provided a glimpse of what may be to come. A day after reporting 6,509 new coronavirus cases — which was more than twice the figure from the day before — county health officials reported an even higher infection total Thursday: 8,633.
“These numbers make it crystal clear that we’re headed into a very challenging time over the holiday,” county
